Moroni, the Angel of Revelation to Mormons By Whitney Hopler Updated October 29, 2015. Moroni means "in fire." There are no other spellings associated with the archangel Moroni's name. Moroni is known as the angel of revelation to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church), who recognize Moroni as an archangel. Mormons believe that Moroni revealed information that restored Christianity to its fullness, which they believe had been lost in time between Jesus Christ's biblical ministry and when Moroni appeared to prophet Joseph Smith in the 1820s. Moroni was a person who became an angel , according to Mormon doctrine. As a person, Moroni lived somewhere in the Americas during the 4th century A.D. as part of a group of people called the Nephites . He and his father (the prophet Mormon) used golden plates to record what they said were divine revelations to add to the Bible , and Moroni buried those plates before he died in battle .

As an angel, Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith several times beginning in 1823, directing Smith to the location in western New York where the plates were buried and helping Smith translate them. continue reading below our video Learn About the Book of Mormon Smith, who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, published his translations as the Book of Mormon . Symbols In art, Moroni is often depicted blowing a trumpet, a musical instrument that symbolizes his role announcing revelations about the church. Many Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temples feature statues of Moroni blowing a trumpet. The statues are gold because the plates that Moroni showed Joseph Smith and helped him translate were gold.

Energy Color Yellow Role in Religious Texts Mormons believe that the Bible refers to Moroni in Revelation 14:6: "Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth -- to every nation, tribe, language and people." In the Book of Mormon, Moroni gives his testimony of faith, and concludes it in chapter 10 verses 33 and 34 by writing: "...if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot. And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air , to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead.

Amen." Other Religious Roles Besides revealing the location of the golden plates to Joseph Smith and helping Smith translate them, Moroni also appeared to some other people to encourage them to expand the new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For example, early Mormons Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris reported that they saw Moroni during visions . September 22: The Angel and the Mormon » Freethought Almanac September 22: The Angel and the Mormon Categories: to Joseph Smith (1827) Smith and his Angel Moroni It was on this date, September 22, 1827, that the resurrected being described as the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and eventually revealed the location of golden tablets containing the Book of Mormon beneath a hill in Palmyra, New York. Moroni is supposed to have been a prophet who lived in North America in the late 4th century. The golden plates were compiled and abridged by Moroni’s father, Mormon, a Nephite warrior but also a prophet. The Book of Mormon was purported to be the story of ancient Americans known as Nephites and Lamanites, records buried in a hill called Cumorah centuries ago.

As Smith himself described his meeting with Moroni: 33 He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do… 34 He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang… 35 Also, that there were two stones in silver bows – and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim – deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted “seers” in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book. Smith was a diviner of buried treasure in his youth, so he was comfortable with using magical devices to see things no one else could see. He kept such a close watch on the golden plates that he was using as a source for his translation that he would allow no one to see them. With his magic stones, Smith could translate the plates even without looking at them.

But after Smith finished 116 pages of the Book of Mormon, one of Smith’s financial backers, Martin Harris, borrowed and then lost them! Smith needed some divine assistance and he got some: the missing pages, describing early Israelite-Americans, would not be retranslated, but instead translated anew from a different set of plates, magically provided. The Mormon Temple in Washington, DC, near where I live (dedicated in 1974), displays atop its tallest spire a golden statue of Moroni blowing his trumpet. The architecture itself looks so much like the castle in Emerald City (of the 1939 Victor Fleming film The Wizard of Oz), that some wag painted on a railroad overpass crossing the Capital Beltway, visible as the "castle" comes into view, the words "SURRENDER DOROTHY"! Visitations from angels are a common theme in religious mythology. Angels – literally, a “messenger” (αγγελος in Greek, מלאך in Hebrew, مـلـك in Arabic) – are supposed to be heralds from the heavens, protectors of humans, fighters of fallen angels like Satan, and carolers in God’s adulatory chorus.

Angels are mentioned 344 times in the Christian Bible; 146 times in the Book of Mormon, and 96 times in the Koran (the angel Gabriel is said to have revealed Allah’s words to Muhammad ). One common attribute of angels is that they are creatures without bodies – yet they think, feel and act. It is a mystery how thinking can occur without a brain, action without a body. Imagining a body without substance is like imagining a four-sided triangle! Since Joseph Smith was the only witness to the appearance of Moroni, and only eight others claim to have seen the golden plates – they were converts rather than disinterested witnesses – there is little to corroborate Smith’s story. If we add that the Book of Mormon shows every indication of being written by a lightly educated man of 1800s North America, who plagiarized most of it from the KJV Bible, committed gross errors of anachronism, and showed amazingly little knowledge of both Judaism and fourth-century Judea – we might conclude that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is based is a colossal fraud.

But with $30 billion in assets, an annual gross income of $6 billion, and membership of about 10 million and growing, the Mormon Church is a colossally successful fraud! However, to paraphrase Anatole France , “If fifty million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.” Originally published September 2003 by Ronald Bruce Meyer . Share this: Primary 4: Book of Mormon Lesson 44: Moroni and the Book of Mormon Promise A Book of Mormon for each child. b. Pictures 4-2, Moroni Hides the Plates in the Hill Cumorah (Gospel Art Picture Kit 320; 62462); 4-55, Moroni Appears to Joseph Smith in His Bedroom (Gospel Art Picture Kit 404; 62492); 4-3, Joseph Smith Receives the Gold Plates (Gospel Art Picture Kit 406; 62012); and 4-56, Angel Moroni on the Temple. Suggested Lesson Development Invite a child to give the opening prayer. Attention Activity Display the picture Moroni Hides the Plates in the Hill Cumorah.

Explain that this picture depicts Moroni near the end of his life on earth. Tell the children that their class study of the Book of Mormon is also coming to an end. Review the following things about Moroni’s life: Moroni had completed the sacred record. His father, Mormon, had been killed; his relatives were dead; he had no friends. The arrows, swords, and shields of battle were left on the battlefields. There was destruction everywhere. For years Moroni had been living alone, hiding from the Lamanites and protecting the sacred records. He had abridged (summarized) the twenty-four gold plates (book of Ether) and finished his own writing on the plates his father had given him. Referring to the picture, explain that Moroni is about to place the gold plates in a stone box in the Hill Cumorah. Moroni made a special promise to all those who read the Book of Mormon . This promise is one of the last things Moroni wrote on the gold plates. It is a promise about getting a testimony of the Book of Mormon .

Display the wordstrip “Testimony.” Tell the children that during this lesson they will discover the steps to take to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon (see enrichment activity 1). They will also learn about the promise Moroni gave us. Scripture Account Teach the accounts of Moroni’s fulfilling his father’s commandment to finish the sacred record, of his promise to the faithful and his farewell found in Moroni 10 , of his hiding the record in the earth, and of his appearing 1,400 years later to Joseph Smith, found in Joseph Smith—History 1:30–35, 59–60 . (For suggested ways to teach the scripture accounts, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” on p. vii.) Use the pictures at appropriate times. Discussion and Application Questions Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading the references with the children in class will help them gain insights into the scriptures. • Who received the gold plates and translated them into the Book of Mormon?

• Now that the work of the Book of Mormon prophets and the Prophet Joseph Smith has been completed, what responsibility do we have to the Book of Mormon? (To study it, gain a testimony of it, live its teachings, and share our testimony with others.) Enrichment Activities You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge. 1. Make the following wordstrips: “Read,” “Remember,” “Ponder,” “Pray.” Allow the children to take turns turning the wordstrips over and reviewing the steps Moroni gave us for gaining a testimony. Discuss how the children can use these steps to gain their own testimony: Gaining a Testimony of the Book of Mormon Read (Explain that the first step in gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon is to read and study it.) Remember (Moroni said we should remember how kind and merciful Jesus Christ is and we should fill our hearts with gratitude for him.

This love and gratitude will prepare us for the spirit of revelation.) Ponder (We must ponder or think in our hearts and minds the things we have learned about Jesus Christ and his teachings in the Book of Mormon.) Pray (We must pray sincerely, asking God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, if the Book of Mormon is true.) 2. Share with the children the following statement from President Ezra Taft Benson, the thirteenth President of the Church: “There are three great reasons why Latter-day Saints should make the study of the Book of Mormon a life-time pursuit. “The first is that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. … A keystone is the central stone in an arch. It holds all the other stones in place, and if removed, the arch crumbles. “There are three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone in our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of testimony. … “The second great reason … is that it was written for our day. … “The third reason … is [that] it helps us draw nearer to God.

… “There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1986, pp. 4–6; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, pp. 5–7). 3. Show the picture Angel Moroni on the Temple. Explain that we learn in Revelation 14:6 and Doctrine and Covenants 133:36 that an angel (Moroni) returned the “everlasting gospel” to the earth. Invite the children to look for the golden statue of Moroni on top of some of our temples and remember Moroni, who never failed in his testimony of Jesus Christ: “And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ” ( Moroni 1:3 ). 4. Invite the children to read and memorize part or all of the promise of the Book of Mormon ( Moroni 10:4–5 ) or the eighth article of faith . 5.

Explain that when we gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, we also gain a testimony that— Jesus is the Christ. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church of God. 6. Invite the children to share their favorite accounts from the Book of Mormon. (They might want to role-play these accounts.) Ask them what important lessons they have learned from each account. 7. 20 little-known facts about Mormon temples' Angel Moroni statues | Deseret News 20 little-known facts about Mormon temples' Angel Moroni statues By Sarah Petersen , Deseret News Published: Nov. 27, 2013 9:24 a.m. Comments Deseret News Archives Editor's note: With temples scheduled for open houses and dedications in Sapporo, Fort Collins, Freiberg and Philadelphia in the coming weeks and months, we take a look back at this list from our archives. Did you know that one of the heaviest Angel Moroni statues weighs 4,000 pounds, that one statue was colored white or that the statue usually faces east?

With temples all over the world, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has adorned the skyline with angel statues for 169 years, ever since the Nauvoo Temple was dedicated in 1846. The Nauvoo Temple, however, did not feature the same type of statue LDS Church members are familiar with today. According to articles in the New Era and Liahona magazines, the statue's design has gone through many iterations and has an intriguing history. How much do you know about this Mormon icon? Here are 20 little-known facts and stories about the Angel Moroni statue. Sources: Why choose Moroni? Deseret News Archives The idea to use the prophet from the Book of Mormon to top the temple came from sculptor Cyrus Dallin, who was not a member of the LDS faith. LDS Church President Wilford Woodruff had asked Dallin to create something for the central spire of the Salt Lake Temple, so Dallin searched through LDS scripture for inspiration. It was Dallin who decided to sculpt Moroni because he believed Moroni was a good representation of the restoration of the gospel. Which temple was the first to have an angel?

Church History Library The Nauvoo Illinois Temple. This was the first LDS temple to have an angel atop the holy building. It was dedicated in 1846 and was said to have had a horizontal angel attached to the lightning rod in the form of a weathervane. While this was the first angel to top an LDS temple, it was not specified as being the Angel Moroni. Which temple had the first official Angel Moroni statue? Deseret News Archives The Salt Lake City Utah Temple. This was the first temple to have an angel statue that was identified as Angel Moroni. Which temples don't have a statue? LDS.org 1. St. George Utah Temple 2. Logan Utah Temple 4. São Paulo Brazil Temple 5. Bern Switzerland Temple Why does the statue hold a trumpet? Deseret News Archives The trumpet, which is held in Moroni's right hand, symbolizes the spreading of the gospel and the Second Coming of the Savior. In Matthew 24:31, it states that the angels with trumpets will gather the righteous together for the coming of the Lord. Every statue of the Angel Moroni atop a temple has this symbol. How many versions are there of the statue?

Deseret News Archives There are six versions of the Angel Moroni statue. 1. Cyrus Dallin sculpted the first version for the Salt Lake Temple. It was covered in 22-karat gold leaf. 2. Millard F. Malin sculpted the second version for the Los Angeles California Temple. This statue also holds a replica of the gold plates in its left hand. 3. Avard Fairbanks sculpted the third version, and the Washington D.C. Temple was the first to display this version. This statue also holds the gold plates. 4. Karl A. Quilter sculpted the fourth version with the help of LaVar Wallgren. Two different molds were created. 5. Karl A. Quilter also sculpted the fifth version for the small-temple design. Several of these statues featured a scroll in the hand of Moroni. 6. Torlief Knaphus designed an Angel Moroni statue for the spire of the Washington D.C. chapel in the early 1930s. This mold was also used for three temples: Idaho Falls Temple, Atlanta Georgia Temple and the Boston Massachusetts Temple. Which temple displays a statue with unique clothing?

rsc.byu.edu The Los Angeles California Temple. This statue has distinct Native American features with the cloak displaying Mayan designs, a headband and sandals on his feet. How did the sculptors make the statues look life-like? Deseret News Archives Each sculptor had their own techniques. Karl Quilter used human models to help him accurately represent a human body by shaping the muscles correctly and structuring the statue to be balancing on the ball. What items have different statues held? Deseret News Archives The gold plates and a scroll. The second and third versions of the statue each held gold plates. The fifth version occasionally held a scroll. The scroll is said to represent the "everlasting gospel" that is stated in Revelation 14:6 . Which direction does the statue usually face? Deseret News Archives East. In Matthew 24:27 it states that Christ will come from the east. When possible, the Angel Moroni is placed to face eastward. The statue atop the Los Angeles California Temple used to face southwest, but after a request from President David O. McKay, it was adjusted to face the east. How heavy is each version?

Deseret News Archives The first few statues were made of bronze, copper or aluminum, causing the statue to be extremely heavy. The most recent versions of the Angel Moroni have significantly decreased in weight. The second version weighed 2,101 pounds, the third version weighed 4,000 pounds, both of the fourth versions weighed 350 pounds and the sixth version weighed 645 pounds. Weight for the first and fifth versions were not available. Which original version is the tallest? Deseret News Archives 1st Angel Moroni: 12 feet 5 inches tall 2nd Angel Moroni: 15 feet 5 inches tall 3rd Angel Moroni:18 feet tall 4th Angel Moroni: One mold was 9 feet 9 inches tall, one was 7 feet tall. 5th Angel Moroni: 6 feet 8 inches tall The Jordan River Temple has the tallest statue at 20 feet tall. Which temple had a white Angel Moroni statue? Deseret News Archives The Monticello Utah Temple.

This temple featured the fifth version in white, but after one year the white statue was replaced by a regular gold-leafed Moroni because it was too difficult to see the white statue. How long does it take to gild a statue? Deseret News Archives Today it only takes one day to cover, or gild, the statue in gold. Once the statue is gilded, it cannot be touched with anything but gloved hands to avoid marking the delicate surface. Which temple was destroyed, yet the statue survived? Deseret News Archives On July 9, 2003, the Apia Samoa Temple was destroyed by a fire. This was the first time in church history that an operational temple was completely destroyed by fire. Yet, the Angel Moroni statue was not harmed. After the temple was rebuilt, the original Angel Moroni statue was placed on the rededicated temple. Which temple's statue was struck by lightning before its dedication? Deseret News Archives The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple. The Angel Moroni statue was struck by lightning before the dedication of the temple and was replaced 10 days before the dedicatory service in 2009.

Which temple's statue rotated during an earthquake in 2013? Deseret News Archives The Cebu City Temple. During the Oct. 15, 2013, earthquake in the Philippines, the Angel Moroni statue turned 90 degrees, according to a DeseretNews.com report . Which temple's statue rotated during an earthquake in 2011? LDS.org The Tokyo Japan Temple. During the earthquake in Japan the Angel Moroni rotated approximately 45 degrees, according to a 4Utah.com report . Which temple had the trumpet fall out of Angel Moroni's hand? Deseret News Archives The Santiago Chile Temple. During an earthquake that took place in 2010 in Chile, the trumpet of the Angel Moroni fell out, according to a DeseretNews.com report . This has also been reported to have happened with the Angel Moroni statue atop the Tokyo Japan Temple and the Apia Samoa Temple, according to Mormon Soprano . Which LDS chapel had an Angel Moroni statue? Deseret News Archives The Washington D.C. chapel.

In the early 1930s, church leaders requested that Torlief Knaphus design an Angel Moroni statue for the spire of the Washington D.C. chapel. The statue is a replica of Dallin's angel and weighs 645 pounds. The statue was eventually removed in 1976 and can be viewed at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City. The statue has been used in the production of the "Legacy" and "Mountain of the Lord" films. Where is the one Angel Moroni statue that is not placed on top of a building? Deseret News Archives The Hill Cumorah Monument. This statue was sculpted by Torlief Knaphus and is the only Angel Moroni statue that does not hold a horn. Instead, his right arm is raised as a gesture of priesthood authority. Moroni's visit/Angel of Satan - FairMormon Moroni's visit/Angel of Satan The theory that Moroni could have been an "angel of Satan" Questions and Answers Question: Could Moroni have been an "angel of Satan"?

The teachings of Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the LDS Church affirm that Jesus is the Christ, something that Satan cannot do Some critics of Mormonism have charged that Moroni — the resurrected prophet who gave the Book of Mormon plates to Joseph Smith — was really an angel of Satan. [1] They base this charge on two passages in the New Testament: For such are false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. ( 2 Corinthians 11:13–15 ) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. ( Galatians 1:8 ) The question is asked, "If Satan can appear as an angel of light, couldn't he have deceived Joseph Smith by claiming to be Jesus Christ or Moroni or any of the other messengers who appeared to him?" These objections fail an objective analysis using the scriptures as our standard of truth.

The teachings of Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the LDS Church affirm that Jesus is the Christ and that he "came in the flesh" as prophesied and affirmed in scripture. For Satan to inspire these latter-day truths goes counter to Christ's own teachings ( Matthew 12:25–26 ; also Matthew 9:33–34 ; Mark 3:22–30 ; Luke 11:14–26 ; Jesus the Christ, pp. 265–266). To believe that an uneducated farm boy could have imagined these things and convinced so many others of their veracity is difficult to justify especially in view of the testimonies of all those who were also intimately involved as eyewitnesses to many of these same events. Indeed, to deny these events took place as so many witnesses testified takes more faith than to accept their accounts as factual. Joseph Fielding McConkie pointed out: "Many a pretender to the prophetic office has claimed to entertain angels or to have spoken with God, but who other than Joseph Smith introduced his angels to others? Joseph Smith introduced Moroni to Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris.

He was never alone when priesthood or keys were restored.... He and Sydney Rigdon received the revelation on the degrees of glory together. Together they saw legions of angels, along with the Father and the Son (see D&C 76:21–23 ). Oliver Cowdery was with Joseph Smith when John the Baptist came to restore the Aaronic Priesthood, and when Peter, James, and John came to restore the Melchizedek Priesthood. Oliver was also with Joseph Smith when Christ came to accept the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, and Moses, Elias, and Elijah restored their keys, powers, and authorities." [2] LDS belief does support the idea that Satan can appear as an angel of light, but Joseph taught members how to recognize this ruse This is certainly possible in LDS belief, since the Book of Mormon describes two instances where this occurred ( 2 Nephi 9:9 ; Alma 30:53 ). Joseph Smith also briefly described several incidents of this nature associated with the restoration ( D&C 128:20 ; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 214 ).

Nevertheless, it appears that Joseph became aware of this tactic early on and taught the members how to recognize this ruse (Teachings, pp. 202, 204, 214, 227; see also Bruce R McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 2:440–441). The Bible also contains a test to enable us to judge or, as John says, to "try spirits whether they are of God" ( 1 Jn 4:11 ). If Jesus Christ or Moroni or any of the other messengers who appeared to Joseph Smith failed this test we would know they were ministers of Satan. John states, "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God" ( 1 Jn 4:2-3 ). Joseph Smith likewise taught, "...if I profess to be a witness or teacher, and have not the spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus, I must be a false witness....

[A]ny man who says he is a teacher or preacher of righteousness, and denies the spirit of prophecy, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; and by this key false teacher and impostors may be detected" (Teachings, p. 269). In the First Vision Jesus Christ was introduced by God the Father as his "Beloved Son" ( Joseph Smith—History 1:17 ). God the Father was, in essence, witnessing that Jesus Christ was his Only Begotten Son just as he had done when Jesus "came in the flesh" and was baptized ( Matthew 3:17 ; Mark 1:11 ). In a subsequent appearance Jesus identified himself as "the first and the last...he who liveth...he who was slain" ( DC 110:4 ). Jesus Christ was testifying that he was the same person who lived in the Holy Land and crucified for our sins. He confirmed that he indeed came "in the flesh" to accomplish the atonement.

The angel Moroni testified of Jesus Christ, which is something that Satan would never have done The angel Moroni who appeared to Joseph Smith also confirmed that "Jesus Christ was come in the flesh" by quoting Old and New Testament scriptures which were fulfilled with his coming ( Joseph Smith—History 1:40 ). He also stated that his (Moroni's) purpose was to reveal a book "giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent" and containing the "everlasting Gospel...as delivered by the Savior" following his mortal ministry. The stated purpose of the Book of Mormon is in fact to convince both "Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ" ( title page ); as such, it is subtitled Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Latter-day Saints believe it to be a second witness, after the Bible, of Jesus Christ's divine mission. If Moroni were Satan or one of Satan's ministers acting as an instrument of evil, he surely would not have done so much to convince mankind to believe in Christ; it goes counter to Satan's purpose ( Matthew 12:25 ).

In the Book of Mormon, Jacob told us: "Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him. For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord." ( 2 Nephi 9:5-6 .) Jacob's brother Nephi taught: "And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, harken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ.

And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good. And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye — for Christ will show unto you with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness." ( 2 Nephi 33:10-11 ) The Book of Mormon also contains an account of Christ's visit to those upon this continent wherein he allows them to "feel the prints of the nails" in his flesh ( 3 Nephi 11:14 ) that they might understand that he died for them also.

Thus Moroni and the book which he brought, both testify that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and was come in the flesh "manifesting himself unto all nations" ( title page ; 1 Nephi 10:4-11 ; 1 Nephi 11:18-21 , 1 Nephi 11:27-33 ; 1 Nephi 15:13 ; Mosiah 7:27 ; Mosiah 15:1-2 ; Ether 3:6 ; Ether 3:9 ; Ether 3:16-17 ; Moroni 9:25 ). None of the messengers which appeared to Joseph Smith ever denied that Jesus Christ was the Messiah come in the flesh ( DC 13:1 ; DC 18:11-12 ; DC 19:16-19 ; DC 20:1 ; DC 110:4 ) and all had a "testimony of Jesus." Paul gave us a final key to detection of false messengers; he said that their "end shall be according to their works" ( 2 Corinthians 11:15 ).

If their works be evil or unrighteous we will know they are not from God. "By their fruits ye shall know them" ( Matthew 7:20 ). Notes Joseph Smith, Captain Kidd, Cumorah And Moroni Published in John Whitmer Historical Journal 34 (Spring/Summer 2014): 50-57. Folktales of the treasure feats of Captain William Kidd (1645-1701), and their likely influence upon Joseph Smith Jr., have previously been argued and written during the last several decades. While the topic is not new, circumstantial evidence linking the two men is accumulating. This article is not the last word on the subject, but rather an effort to clarify where things presently stand. Let us start by discussing the Joseph Smith family's efforts at treasure seeking on Cumorah hill. Fifty-one of Palmyra's leading citizens said the Joseph Smith Sr. family was “famous for visionary projects.” [i] One of these projects centered on a nearby glacial drumlin, called Cumorah hill by the Smiths.

Neighbor Orsamus Turner said it was “legends of hidden treasure,” and Book of Mormon witness Martin Harris said it was “money supposed to have been hidden by the ancients” that drew the family to the hill. [ii] From 1820-1827, Smith and his father were digging at and claiming to have experiences with the hill's spirit guardian (later called Moroni), according to Palmyra/Manchester residents Orsamus Turner, Martin Harris, Pomeroy Tucker, Willard Chase, and Orlando Saunders—all providing detailed accounts. Before, during, and after the golden plate's saga, the Smiths were engaged in looking for Cumorah's treasures. [iii] One of the “legends of hidden treasure” that would have drawn the Smith family to Cumorah hill was the treasure adventures of Captain William (a.k.a. Robert) Kidd, the pirate. Pomeroy Tucker, who was essentially the same age as Smith, said Joseph “had learned to read works of fiction and records of criminality, such for instance as would be classed with the ‘dime novels' of the present day.

The stories of Stephen Buroughs and Captain Kidd, and the like, presented the highest claims for his expanding mental perceptions.” [iv] Another Palmyra native, Philetus Spear, said that Joseph Smith as a boy “had for a library a copy of the ‘Arabian Nights,' stories of Captain Kidd, and a few novels.” [v] According to James H. Kennedy, Joseph Sr. while living in Vermont had “at times engaged in hunting for Captain Kidd's buried treasure,” and that young Joseph's own reading about the pirate had “made a deep impression on him.” [vi] Palmyra resident Ann Eaton added that Kidd was “his hero.” [vii] Joseph may have read Washington Irving's short story on the adventurous life of Kidd The Pirate, whichwas published in Philadelphia in 1824 and in New York in 1825. More likely, Joseph and his family had read several of the many exaggerated ‘dime novel' knock-offs about Kidd and other pirates which were based on the 1724 and 1728 popular two-volume, A General History of Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates, by Daniel Defoe.

[viii] Joseph Smith not only read about the Kidd treasure legends in his boyhood but dug for them at various locations. Stephen Harding, a one-time governor of Utah Territory, and Palmyra native said that Joseph, “had spent his time for several years … digging for hidden treasures, and especially for pots and iron chests of money, supposed to have been buried by Captain Kidd.” [ix] Early convert to Mormonism and Smith neighbor, Porter Rockwell, informed Elizabeth Kane, the “treasure[s] of Captain Kidd were sought for far and near, and even in places like Cumorah.” [x] Rockwell knew this to be true because he, Martin Harris and perhaps Joseph Jr. had sought treasure at Cumorah hill in 1827. [xi] William R. Hine of Windsor, New York, heard from young Joseph that: He [Joseph] saw Captain Kidd sailing on the Susquehanna River during a freshet, and that he buried two pots of gold and silver.

He claimed he saw writing cut on the rocks in an unknown language telling where Kidd buried it, and he translated it through his peepstone … [and then] dug for Kidd's money, on the west bank of the Susquehanna, half a mile from the river. [xii] Likewise, Ketchel Bell remembers being told by her brother Milo, that “he knew Jo[seph] Smith when he was digging near the Susquehanna River for Capt. Kidd's Money. Jo[seph] had a peep-stone through which he claimed to see hidden or buried treasures.” [xiii] It is noteworthy to observe here that even though Joseph Smith claimed detailed information on how to find this (Kidd's) treasure, he never found it. During the early nineteenth century, the Smith family was not unique in seeking Kidd's reported lost treasure. John Hyde Jr. wrote in 1857 that “it was quite common in the western part of New York, about thirty years ago [i.e.

1827], for men to dig for treasure which they supposed had been hidden by Captain Kidd and others.” [xiv] This activity was commonplace enough that Palmyra's Wayne Sentinel reprinted a piece from the Windsor (Vermont) Journal, noting how “prevalent” seeking Kidd's treasure was among New Englanders and Palmyra citizens in 1825: We are sorry to observe, even in this enlightened age, so prevalent a disposition to credit the accounts of the marvelous. Even the frightful stories of money being hid under the surface of the earth, and enchanted by the Devil or Robert Kidd (Captain Kidd), are received by many of our respectable fellow citizens as truths. [xv] Captain William Kidd was born c.1645 and was a British sea captain. By 1690, Kidd was living in the colony of New York where he resided until 1699. It was especially during this decade that the Indian Ocean was “swarming with pirates,” noted B. F. De Costa. [xvi] In September, 1696 Captain Kidd raised a crew of eighty-four men in New York, and then sailed to the Indian Ocean.

Throughout 1697-1698, he spent considerable time in the Comoros Islands and the Indian Ocean, seizing booty from the French and other ships. Shortly after he returned to New York in 1699, he was arrested for killing one of his crew members named Moore and illegally capturing a treasure ship called the “Quedagh Merchant” —both incidents occurring while Kidd was in the Comoros in 1697-1698. [xvii] He was returned to England in 1700 where he was tried, found guilty and executed on May 23, 1701. Soon after his arrest, a small quantity of booty, believed to be his, was found on Gardiners' Island, off the east coast of Long Island, New York. Since that time people have been looking for the rest of Captain Kidd's buried treasure.

[xviii] Professor Ronald Huggins has written: “The fact that the pirate [Kidd] was hanged for crimes allegedly committed in the vicinity of Moroni on Grand Comoro [Island] is significant.” [xix] For example, the words Cumorah and Moroni are unusual names, yet are often used in the same sentence by many of the churches based on the movement started by Joseph Smith Jr., when describing the origins of the Book of Mormon. Church members are generally unaware and surprised to learn that off the eastern coast of Mozambique, Africa is the “Comoros” Islands. Today the spelling has been standardized but this has not always been so. This 1808 map of Africa refers to these Islands as “Camora.” [xx] “Camora” is near the center of this cropped 1808 map of Africa. The Comoros Islands are shown in more detail in this 1649 map of the region. The, “ilhas [Islands] de Comoro” are near the upper left corner.

[xxi] It is interesting that a copy of the original Book of Mormon manuscript, called the printer's manuscript, written in 1829–1830, reveals three different spellings for this place-name. In Mormon 6:2, “Camorah” appears once; In Mormon 6:5, 11, “Comorah” is twice seen; and in Mormon 6:2, 4, 6; 8:2, “Cumorah” is found six times. [xxii] In the first published edition of the 1830 Book of Mormon, all nine references are spelled “Camorah.” [xxiii] Still, the name itself is more important than slight variant spellings. Furthermore, the largest city and capital of the Comoros today is the “city of Moroni,” located on Grand Comoro, the largest of the three main Islands. Moroni was founded by Arabic settlers in the tenth century A.D., and like Camora/Comoro, is an Arabic name.

[xxiv] A second Moroni place-name, spelled “Meroni,” is on Anjouan, the second largest Comoro Island (historically known as Johanna). “Meroni” appears on this 1748 map of Anjouan/Johanna as an anchorage point for the village. [xxv] There are five ports on this island and three of them are within less than ten miles, increasing the likelihood of Kidd's knowing about and visiting Meroni. See the top of the map for the three ports. Historian Paul Hawkins has concluded from his extensive research that Captain William “Kidd … seems to have known and been very familiar with the islands of the Comoros, [and] the ports of call.” [xxvi] We specifically know that Kidd visited Anjouan/Johanna at least once or twice during March/April of 1697 alone. In a July 7, 1699 letter, Kidd wrote that he “sailed for the island of Johanna … arrived there about the eighteenth Day of March … and stayed about four days.” Then after sailing for a day, he arrived in nearby Mohilla where he remained a month.

His crew was sick and “about fifty men died” on the island. One crew member named Bradinham, testified under oath at Kidd's trial in 1701, that they sailed “to Madagascar, from thence to Joanna, from thence to Mahala [Mohilla], from Mahala to Joanna again.” [xxvii] Both the Camora/Comoros Islands and the two Moroni place-names, were commonly associated with pirates and treasure hunting ventures in that part of the world—the very area of Captain Kidd's greatest adventures. Moreover, twenty other pirate ships, plus New England whalers also visited the Comoros during that era. [xxviii] Unquestionably, people heard the oral reports of these crew members' journeys. Captains of these ships and crew members were undoubtedly familiar with these islands and their ports. Ships would be drawn to the Moroni settlements because both had ports or anchorage. [xxix] All of these pirate exploits would be particularly interesting to treasure hunters such as the Joseph Smith family.

In short, many of Kidd's most dramatic pirate adventures occurred, as Huggins summarized: “in the vicinity of Moroni on Grand Comoro”/Camora; and Joseph Smith's adventures of “Moroni” are on a “hill” in the “land of Camorah,”/”Comorah,”/”Cumorah.” Did the Smith family refer to the hill near their home as Camorah, Comorah or Cumorah and its treasure guardian as Moroni, because to them these words were synonymous with treasure seeking and hidden treasure? Is it a mere coincidence that the original 1830 Book of Mormon and the printer's manuscript contain the “Camorah” and “Comorah” spelling—spellings found on maps of that era? It is reasonable to assert that Joseph Smith's hill in the “land of Camorah” [Comorah/Cumorah], “city of Moroni,” and “land of Moroni,” is connected with the “ilhas [islands] de Comoro”/”Camora,” the Moroni/Meroni settlements, and these pirate adventures.

[xxx] It should not surprise us to find these place-names of the Comoros in the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith was skillful at using sources from one setting then applying the material to another place and time in clever and unique ways. For instance, it is evident that Smith drew many names, quotations, miracles, prophecy and stories from the King James Bible as plainly seen in the Book of Mormon. He used the Apocrypha, evangelical Protestant doctrines, Methodist camp meeting traditions and ways, American antiquities, anti-Masonic rhetoric and practices, and family dreams and biographical material—all clearly seen in the text of the Book of Mormon. Smith's pattern is further appreciated in the Book of Abraham in his appropriations from the works of Flavius Josephus, biblical quotations, and Newtonian astronomy—all from the early nineteenth-century. [xxxi] [i] Statement of fifty-one Palmyra area citizens, December 4, 1833, in E. D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed (Painesville, OH: by the Author, 1834), 261-62; qtd. and discussed in, Grant H.

Palmer, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2002),144n20. [ii] Martin Harris, in Tiffany's Monthly 5 (August 1859): 164-65, and O[rsamus]. Turner, History of the Pioneer Settlement of Phelps and Gorham's Purchase (Rochester, NY: William Alling, 1851), 214-16; both qtd. in Palmer, An Insider's View, 184-85. [iii] Cited and discussed in, Palmer, Ibid, 178 and notes 7-8; 183-85 and notes 24-26; 194-95n56. [iv] Pomeroy Tucker, Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism (New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1867), 17. [v] Philetus B. Spear, recollections of c.

1873, reported in the Marion Enterprise (Newark, N.Y.), September 28, 1923, 43:1, qtd. in Early Mormon Documents, 5 vols., ed. Dan Vogel (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1996 - 2003), 3:130. [vi] James H. Kennedy, Early Days of Mormonism: Palmyra, Kirtland and Nauvoo (New York: Scribner's, 1888), 8, 13. [vii] Ann Ruth Eaton, The Origin of Mormonism (Woman's Executive Committee of Home Missions, 1881), cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 3:148. [viii] Geoffrey Crayon, Gent [a pseudonym], Tales of a Traveler, 2nd American ed., vol. 2, part 4 (New York: C.S.

Van Winkle, 1825), 206-215; Irving's story, “Kidd The Pirate” was retrieved online July 2013 from, Washington Irving -Wikisource, the free online library; Daniel Defoe, A General History of the Pyrates, ed. Manuel Schonhorn (Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina, 1972).

Question: The angel Moroni appears in which religious book?
Answer: Book of Mormon